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Triangle Labor Day Weekend Offers Free Family Fun

Written by: Odile FredericksDate: September 1, 2011

Ready for some family fun this Labor Day weekend? Enjoy First Friday events, free concerts, and an African American Cultural Festival among other events. Thinking of shopping, dining out or looking for fun places to play? Check our readers picks of Triangle Family Favorites. Unless otherwise listed, you'll find details about the following weekend events in our Daily Calendar. For more upcoming festivals and free fun, visit our Things to Do and Family Fun pages.

Kick off the Labor Day weekend on Friday with music by the Cary Town Band at 7:30 p.m. at Sertoma Amphitheatre, at Bond Park, in Cary. The Labors of the Day concert will feature the music that recalls picnics, baseball, concerts and other summer activities.

Catch Kids Fest, a fun festival, at the Triangle Town Center, in Raleigh, on Friday from 5-8 p.m. Usually held the last Friday of the month, Kids Fest was rescheduled to Sept. 2 after Hurricane Irene blew in last week. Play on inflatables, enjoy inflatables and more! All events take place outside at Triangle Town Commons (near Champps Americana and The Spa by Mitchell's.

In Raleigh, enjoy events tied to First Friday. On the first Friday of the month many shops, restaurants and museums stay open late in Raleigh to entertain folks. Catch a free science fiction movie, "The Strange World of Planet X," at 7 p.m. at the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences, in downtown Raleigh. The museum will be open 5 to 9 p.m. Browse exhibits and enjoy live music by jazz guitarist Eli Wittmann.

On Saturday, the 7th Annual Bull City Rumble and Benefit will take place from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. at Historic Brightleaf District, in Durham. Enjoy a bike show, food, live music and fun. See our daily calendar for details. Proceeds benefit Preservation Durham.

Catch Saturday Morning Storytime from 10-10:30 a.m. at Flyleaf Books, located at 752 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., in Chapel Hill. After story time, kids will take part in an activity.

The Raleigh Children's Museum will host a children's program, Trains, Trolleys, and Trikes: Raleigh and the Evolution of Transportation, from 1-4 p.m. Saturday in downtown Raleigh. Learn basic bicycle maintenance, play with old toy cars and take on your friends in a classic game of horseshoes.

On Sunday at 7:30 p.m., enjoy Pops in the City at the Raleigh Amphitheatre, on McDowell Street, in downtown Raleigh. Take the family to hear music from Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, John Williams, Andrew Lloyd Webber and others.

On Monday at 11 a.m., the Cat's Cradle, located at 300 E. Main St., in Carrboro, will host Abbey Road Live. The Beatles tribute band will perform "Abbey Road," and kids can join the band on stage for "Yellow Submarine" and enjoy pizza and popcorn. For details on ticket prices see our Daily Calendar.

Headed to the movies or thinking of renting one for home? See Jean's Movie Choices for Kids to find out what's fun and appropriate for you tot, tween or teen.

Also, did you know that Cary's Lazy Daze Festival has gone virtual? After the festival set for Aug. 27 was cancelled due to Hurricane Irene, organizers have launched Virtual Lazy Daze. You can log onto the artist section of Lazy Daze at www.townofcary.org, and shop the arts and crafts offered at Lazy Daze, and then view purchase information. Shop online through the end of September.